The Prime and His Soldier- A Collection of Oneshots
by LiagibaSiYseehc
Summary: When Riley met Optimus... *fluffy goodness* between a certain Autobot leader and a small human female ONESHOTs Optimus Prime x OC Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for my OC Riley Brown
1. Truth or Dare

**What would happen when a bunch of slightly drunk soldiers play Truth or Dare in the NEST headquarters?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for my OC Riley Brown**

* * *

Optimus stood in the vast empty hangar. It was quite late, and most of his comrades had already gone to recharge, leaving him alone with his musings.

The same could not be said for his human allies though, for his sensitive audio receptors could still pick up muffled whoops and cheers from the adjacent hanger as they, in their own words, "partied till the night".

Optimus shook his helm in bemusement. Why the last day of the stellar cycle would require such intense celebration was beyond him, and he doubted he would be able to truly understand all human customs even if he were to spend the rest of his lifetime on this planet.

A small creaking sound, as well as the increased volume and clarity of the racket next hangar, informed Optimus that someone had cracked open the hangar door. He was about to turn away, not wishing to intrude, when his scanners picked up a life signal approaching his way. A human life form, in fact, and judging from its path of motion, it was clear that it was headed straight for him.

"Optimus Prime… sir?"

He looked down. There, shuffling nervously by his pedes, was a young woman, her hazel locks bunched up behind her in a loose ponytail. She was no doubt slightly intoxicated, as scans showed that her blood alcohol concentration was at 0.05%, not quite reaching the legal intoxication level of 0.08%, but high enough to result in a mild impairment of judgement and reasoning.

She looked familiar, but not quite so. _A new recruit_, he realized. He recognized her now. She was one of the few recruits who was not completely terrified of interacting with his species. Even now, after training together for nearly a month, most of the new soldiers were still wary around his kind, intimidated by their size and superior weaponry.

The human femme standing in front of him was an exception, of course.

What was her name again? _Ah yes, Riley_, he recalled, an Irish expression meaning courageous. _Quite fitting_, he thought approvingly, _her carriers named her well_.

Realizing that he had been ignoring the poor human for quite some time, Optimus crouched down to the woman's level, not missing the slow blush that spread across her cheeks as a result of the close proximity.

"How can I be of assistance, Miss Riley Brown?" he asked quietly so as not to scare her.

Riley all but flushed deep red from top to bottom at the giant regal alien's statement. _He remembers my name!_ She thought in delight, before steeling her nerves for her next actions.

"Can… can you pick me up?" the question was slow, hesitant, but a request nonetheless.

Optimus was shocked. He had not picked up another human since Sam and Mikaela, and even then they only agreed because they were trying to avoid capture. He doubted any human would willingly ask to be picked up.

Once again, Riley Brown has become an exception.

Slowly, deliberately, he placed his servo palm up onto the ground of the hangar, watching in interest as the young adult clambered on, gripping his digits with shaky fingers for leverage. Once she was safely situated in the centre of his palm, he gradually rose to full height, taking extra care to keep his servo as steady as possible so as not to jostle the young teen sitting within.

It was apparent that she was apprehensive about something, but he knew her wariness was not directed at him, or else she would not have asked him to pick her up, a genuine symbol of her trust in him.

_She trusted him_, and she was perhaps the first person to truly do so, excluding Sam and Mikaela. Just the thought of finally gaining the trust of one of his human allies made his spark soar. Of course, the other soldiers trusted him too, to a certain degree. They trusted him not to harm humans, and he in turn trusted them not to turn on him and his fellow Autobots. But to actually trust him enough to willingly put oneself into his grasp? Especially after witnessing the strength he could display? It would seem like Riley Brown was the first of her kind to do so.

Noticing that the human had become somewhat muted ever since he picked her up, Optimus brought his servo closer to his faceplate, raising the femme to optic level. The teenage woman squirmed uncomfortably under the obvious scrutiny, and, if that were even possible, blushed even deeper.

"Is there something you require of me?" Optimus enquired, his voice a soft rumble.

The human's vitals spiked, and she seemed to take a moment to collect herself before she spoke, her voice so small that even Optimus with his extra sensitive audio receptors had to strain to hear her.

"Um… do you know what Truth or Dare is?"

Somewhat baffled by her question, Optimus tilted his helm slightly before accessing the planet's internet, finding an answer to his inquiry in seconds.

_Truth or Dare(Noun): A game where players take it in turn to perform a dare set by the other players, or answer a question truthfully put forth by them._

He nodded, signaling the femme in his servo to continue explaining. She took a deep, wobbly breath before resuming.

"So, we were playing that game just now, and… and they dared me to… uh, do something, but I didn't want them to see me doing it, so I wanted to be up here, in your hand- er, servo, when I do it, and… you're not gonna drop me, right? No matter what?"

Her fearful expression was enough to make his spark wretch.

"I would _never _drop you," he promised, watching as the tension in her frame dropped by just a tiny bit.

"What was it that they asked you to accomplish?" he prompted the small human. He would be lying if he said he was not truly curious. What on earth could have made this femme so nervous, so _apprehensive_? Surely, whatever her comrades had asked of her could not have been _that _hard to achieve!

"Uh, well," she stuttered, her cheeks, which had just faded to a pale pink, blossomed scarlet once more, signifying her mortification and unease.

"If you tell me, I would do all that I can to help you fulfill it," he assured, earning a choked gasp from the blushing teen.

"Well…" Riley stammered, forcing herself to inch closer to the Prime. _Just do it! He's not going to drop you or anything. Just get it over with and get outta here!_

"Yes?" Optimus encouraged. She was so close to telling him now, he could tell.

Suddenly, Riley Brown, the first human to ever ask to be picked up by him, the first human to ever truly trust him, darted forwards and planted her lips firmly against his dermas, her face taking on an embarrassed yet determined expression.

Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, who had lived for millions of years and seen more than anyone could possibly imagine, was shocked. Completely and utterly shocked.

True to his word, he did not drop the trembling, blushing femme, but by _Primus _he almost did.

To say Optimus was merely _shocked _would actually be an understatement. A major understatement. More like, his entire processor simply _froze up_, only able to register one coherent thought: The femme was kissing him.

The _femme _was _kissing him_.

THE _FEMME _WAS _KISSING HIM_!

For the first time since he became a Prime, Optimus had no idea what to do. He just stood there, unmoving, optics widened in disbelief, as Riley shyly pulled away from the kiss, her cheeks flaming.

"They… they dared me to kiss my crush," she confessed, glancing at the Prime's optics timidly.

"They did?" his normally deep voice cracked slightly towards the end of the sentence, and he shuttered his optics briefly before refocusing them on the femme he held in his servo, the femme that, for Primus' sake, just _kissed _him.

Riley nodded in conformation, marvelling at the fact that the usually composed alien leader seemed even flustered than she was. His optics, _literally _wide as saucers, were focused entirely on her, and his faceplate showed an expression of utmost _disbelief_ and _bafflement_.

She just couldn't stop thinking of just how _dang cute _that is.

Optimus just stared at the woman perched in his servo, the one that just admitted that he was her crush.

_He _was her _crush_.

_How can that be?_ He thought wildly. She was human, and he was _Cybertronian_. That, and their enormous size difference, as well as the vast difference in age and, well, _appearance_, should be more than enough to deter any human from being attracted to his kind.

But of course, Riley Brown was, once again, an exception.

And he could not deny that he felt just the _tiniest bit _enticed by the human he held in his servo.

"Well, I suppose I should be heading back,"

Was it just him, or did the little femme seem _reluctant _to leave?

"They'll _definitely _ask questions," she let out a groan of resignation, "kill me now."

Stubbornly ignoring the flare of panic from his spark at her remark, Optimus subconsciously pulled the human closer before replying, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"You should head to your berth if you wish to avoid confrontation."

"Nah," Riley shook her head, "they'll find me, and I have a roommate, so there will never be peace."

She watched curiously as the gigantic alien seemed to debate with himself, with his helm tilted and his optics slightly dimmed. Finally, his gaze refocused on her.

"Would you like to recharge in me tonight?"

Optimus knew he had said something wrong immediately, for the femme jumped as if she had been shot.

"I… what?" she sputtered, blushing furiously.

It was at that moment when Optimus's processor finally registered what he had said. His optics flared with mortification, and he corrected himself hastily, mentally cursing himself for being so unbelievably _oblivious _in human culture.

"I _meant_, would you like to recharge in my alternate mode? My vehicular mode consists of a sleeper cabin, where you are welcome to recharge for the night, if that is your preference, of course."

Primus, he hadn't felt this _humiliated _in _vorns_!

The only thing he received for an answer was a tiny, bashful nod, but that was all he needed. Carefully setting down the blushing femme, he knelt down and transformed into his alternate mode, a Peterbilt 379 semi, his red and blue paint job gleaming under the hangar lights.

Slowly, hesitantly, Riley approached the open passenger door and crawled into the semi, feeling her heart race at the thought of the noble Autobot leader being able to feel every single movement she made in her sleep. She debated whether to decline his offer at the last moment and head back to the next hangar, but her exhaustion soon won out, and eventually she found herself curled up in Optimus's interior, wrapped in a blanket that materialized out of nowhere when she lay down.

"Sleep well, little femme," Optimus rumbled softly, tinting his windows to avoid the harsh hangar lights from disrupting the human's sleeping quality before settling down for recharge as well.

* * *

***Bonus scene***

The first thing I registered when I woke up was how warm and comfortable I was, wrapped in the fluffy embrace of my blanket.

Not bothering to open my eyes, I gave a sigh of contentment and called out to my roommate with my head still buried under the sheets.

"Oh my _gosh_, Jessie, last night I had the _best dream EVER_. I dreamt that we and the guys were playing Truth or Dare, and you all dared me to kiss Optimus, and guess what? I actually did it! And he looked _so flustered _and _cute_ and he even offered to let me sleep in his alt mode! Only thing is I don't think I'll be able to stop blushing the next time I see him during training. He'll probably think I'm a _weirdo _or something, I don't know, but _goodness gracious_ I sure wish I could have a dream like that again! Honestly though. Best. Dream. Ever,"

There was the sound of a radio sputtering with static, _wait, static?_ and a horrifyingly familiar baritone voice filled my ears.

"It relieves me to know you enjoyed the events that transpired last night," his voice was laced with both awkwardness and bemusement.

I froze, unwilling to believe my ears _just yet_. _It's not true, it's not true, I'm still dreaming_, I thought desperately. With a deep breath, I flung off the covers and opened my eyes.

I was in Optimus Prime's sleeper cabin.

My hands flew to my mouth as I recalled everything that happened last night. _Oh my gwad, I KISSED him… AND confessed my feelings!_ My thoughts drifted to what I said just now, before I realized it wasn't a dream.

_OH GOSH I CALLED HIM CUTE!_

"Oh my goodness I'm so sorry!" I blurted, "I didn't mean it, I wasn't thinking, I just-"

I lunged for the door, only to have it lock in my face.

"Do please calm down, Riley, your heart rate is getting dangerously high,"

Right. I forgot he could do that. Oh my goodness, _what have I done_? I had literally _openly admitted _my affection for the leader of a group of advanced mechanical species, who was not only a thousand times bigger than me, but also _millions _of times older than me as well. Not to mention, I just _told him _that I thought he was _cute_.

I should just disappear from the face of the planet and be done with it. It's not like I can live with this shame hovering over me anyways.

Optimus was getting increasingly concerned with the femme in his cabin. Her breathing had become erratic, and her blood pressure had risen so much that it was a miracle she had not burst an artery already.

Worried for her well-being, he tried to soothe the stressed human, hoping that his voice would calm her.

"You have no need to worry, Riley. In fact, I am honoured that you think of me so highly."

If anything, it seemed that his statement made things even _worse_, for the human's shuddering intensified.

Truly alarmed now, he wrapped his seat belts around the teenage woman and pulled her against the seats, holding her firm as she thrashed weakly against the restraints enclosing her thin frame.

"Calm. Down," the sentence sounded more like an order, and it did the trick. Gradually, the woman's struggles subsided and she glanced at the rear-view mirror, humiliation and mortification eminent in her eyes.

Optimus cut in before she could say anything, "As I have previously said, you have nothing to apologize for, Riley Brown. I would be lying if I claimed I did not enjoy the events that transpired last night as much as you did." The seat belts surrounding her tightened by a fraction.

I gaped at the dashboard. _Did he just…_ Yes, he did, I realized, he just confessed his feelings for me.

A shy smile erupted from my face and I rubbed the seat belts wrapping around me before timidly placing a small kiss on the leather.

The radio burst into static once more as Optimus's processor reeled from the sensation of the femme's lips on his frame. Never before had he imagined that this… romantic attraction between two completely different species would be even _remotely _possible.

As predicted, Riley Brown had become, once again, an exception.


	2. One Last Farewell

**My last oneshot was crap, so I took it down :) **

**I'm currently trying to rewrite it, but so far I've been failing miserably… oh well, enjoy this random plot bunny that just pounced on my face without warning ;)**

* * *

_Defenders of Earth, we have come for your natural resources to rebuild our damaged planet. When we have transported all we need, we will leave your world in peace. For such peace to exist, you must immediately exile the Autobot rebels you have harboured, non-negotiable. Renounce the rebels. We await your reply._

Riley Brown abruptly broke into a sprint, dashing through familiar hallways with only a specific hangar in mind. Her footsteps echoed loudly in the enclosed halls as she ran mindlessly, trying to make sense of her jumbled thoughts.

One single thought stood out among the rest. _Find him, find Optimus. He would know what to do, he would fix this._

Right?

Pausing to catch her breath against the metallic walls, the sound of the TV from an adjacent room caught her attention.

_It's been a remarkable series of events today at the capitol. Just moments ago legislation was passed to exile the Autobots from American shores. The US military alliance with them is officially over…_

She was shaking now. Millions of emotions washed over her. Fear. Helplessness. Disbelief. Anger. Whirling inside her, threatening to spill out, overwhelming all rational thought. This can't be true this can't be true this can't be true. This is a joke. It's not really happening. Find him. Find him NOW!

She took off running again, praying the adrenaline rush would wake her up from this horrible dream and she would wake up and everything would be okay and Optimus would tell her that she was being silly and they would laugh it off while she curled up in his seat and…

The hanger was large, but she found who she was looking for immediately, her legs automatically taking her towards the towering being of red and blue. Breathing heavily, she sank to the ground against the smooth warm metal, gripping the metal before her tightly as if afraid that it would disappear if she didn't hold on. Tears, _when had she started crying?_ dripped on the gray surface she was clutching on for dear life, but she didn't let go. _Nothing _could make her let go, _nothing_.

Hydraulics hissed, and large digits gently tugged her away from the giant pede, issuing a choked sob from her as she lost her grip. Instantly, her hands scrabbled at the air frantically until she latched on to a silvery digit, pulling it against her face tightly. The digits of the servo holding her curled inwards protectively as the being holding her rose to full height, before bringing her to his chest plates, cradling her as one would a fragile newborn.

The grip on his digit loosened as Riley launched herself against his chassis, her palms pressing firmly on his windshields as she buried her face into the glass pane, sobbing unashamedly. Carefully, he stroked her back with his thumb digit, keeping his touch feather light as he waited for her to compose herself.

"You can't go," she whispered, voice muffled by the glass and tears.

He was silent for a few seconds, still tracing her back gently, then, he spoke.

"I am sorry,"

She shook her head, refusing to hear what he just said as she clutched at his chest plates even tighter.

"You can't go," she insisted, her voice catching slightly, "you can't go. _Please_ don't go."

Her knees buckled, and she seemed to curl up into herself, "You _can't _go…"

His spark nearly broke in half at the sight, and he brought her to optic level, cupping another servo around her body such that the outside world was blocked out. Nothing else mattered, it was only him, and her.

He _hated _himself for saying these words to her, for bringing her such anguish, but it had to be said.

"I… I am sorry, my little soldier, but your government has ordered the exile of all Autobots. I… we will be exiting your Earth's atmosphere in the Xanthium in approximately five minutes,"

Her breath caught in her throat. Five minutes. They only had _five minutes _left before they never saw each other again. They _had _to make every second count.

She raised her head to meet his optics, beautiful, ancient, glowing rings of azure that always seemed to draw her in, to look deep into her soul. Optics that understood her, sometimes even better than she understood herself. Optics that constantly shone with kindness and wisdom, forever patient and never judging.

Optics that were currently filled with regret and sorrow, and guilt, so much guilt, as if the weight of the world hung on his shoulders.

Never breaking eye contact, she reached forwards and placed her palm on his faceplate, relishing the feeling of warmth under her fingertips. Soon she would never be able to feel it again.

"It's not your fault," her voice shook with emotion, "don't blame yourself, please. You have enough to worry about as it is."

His optics shuttered as he leaned into her touch, and she pressed herself against him, pressing her lips against his dermas just as she did the first time they kissed.

Optimus's optics whirred as he scrutinised her, taking in every single detail of her form and filing them away carefully in his data banks. Noting down how her hazel brown hair was always bunched up in a loose ponytail, how her emerald green eyes were always full of curiosity and _innocence _when she looked at him, her expression open and unguarded.

How he could always feel her pulse beating within her body as she pressed her skin to his. How she never seemed to flinch away from his touch, even before she admitted her affections, unlike all her other comrades. How she never noticed the _tremendous _amount of trust she put in him, sometimes so much that even _he _himself was shocked.

"_All Autobots, report to the Xanthium asap,"_

Venting heavily, he turned and headed towards the hangar door, not missing how the human in his grasp tightened her grip on his faceplate at the motion.

Bumblebee was already crouched over Sam, pain and regret showing from his optics as he bid his charge farewell. Having arrived at his destination, Optimus turned his attention back to the human clinging on to his faceplate, lowering his helm to nuzzle her cheek gently.

"I… I," she appeared to choke on her words, "I'll miss you."

"As will I, my little soldier," he rumbled softly, "Be strong in my absence. I shall watch over you from the stars."

Tears flowed freely, but she made no effort to hang on as he lowered her slowly to the ground. He was right. She had to be strong. If he could be strong, then she could too.

She looked up at him and managed a weak smile, eyes shining with tears.

"Well, I heard Saturn's really pretty," she blinked furiously, "and… and Jupiter too, you can… you can see if it's true."

His faceplate lifted into a small smile, but his optics were sorrowful.

"I swear on my spark, I shall never forget you, Riley Brown," he promised her, feeling his spark whine painfully in its chamber, "Till all are one, my little soldier."

Her heart constricted so much that she could hardly breathe. This was it. She would never see him again, never feel his digits trace her skin, never go on peaceful rides with him at night, feeling his powerful engine throb through her seat, never sit on his shoulder plating as he walked, clutching his smoke stacks for support, never hear his rumbling baritone voice say her name…

She swallowed dryly, never once dropping her gaze, "Till all are one, Optimus Prime."

With that, he turned and walked towards the humongous spaceship, each step shaking the ground with a small thud. How she longed to call out to him, to beg him to stop, to latch on to his pede and refuse to let go. But she couldn't, she knew she couldn't, for she knew that he was struggling too, that if she were to beg him to stay, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to leave, so she remained silent, even when he turned his helm to spare her one last glance, even when the last of his blue-red armour disappeared from view, even when the entrance to the spacecraft closed up with a small hiss.

She kept her mouth firmly shut as golden orange flames spewed from the Xanthium's nozzles with a deafening roar, allowing silent tears to roll down her cheeks as the rocket gradually escaped the Earth's gravity.

Then she saw the missiles.

Her eyes widened.

The impacts on the ship she felt as if they were on her own body. Eyes glued to the sky, she watched as fiery streaks of destruction raced down the side of the spaceship containing her heart, her _everything_, her reason to _stay strong_ and _keep going_, reducing the vessel to shrapnel in seconds.

A shrill scream erupted from her as the flaming debris rained from the sky. It was a sound of pain, of loss, of anguish, and everyone who heard it felt their skin crawl with the overwhelming emotion one single word carried.

_"OPTIMUS!"_


	3. Just a Little Tipsy

**Last time she got drunk, she won over the spark of the leader of the Autobots. What would happen this time?**

**This is the second time I've used the 'there's a party and Riley got slightly drunk' plot. I know, I know, but I just couldn't **_**help**_** myself. Drunk Riley is **_**adorable**_**! Anyway, enjoy the mainly self-indulgent fluff :)**

**To be honest with you, I didn't really have a particular time frame in mind when I was writing this. Obviously this takes place after **_**Truth or Dare**_**, but other than that? Feel free to use your imagination**

* * *

Riley stumbled out of the hangar, bracing an arm against the wall for balance. Her eyes brightened when she spotted a familiar semi parked several feet away. Balancing precariously, she made her way towards the vehicle, still clutching her drink in her right hand. At the last second she lost her footing and fell heavily against the Peterbilt's nose with a surprised "_Oof!"_

The semi's engine rumbled in greeting, and she smiled happily at the tiny Autobot insignia at the front of his hood.

"Hi!" she exclaimed cheerfully. A kiss was placed on the Peterbilt's grille. And his left headlight. And his front bumper. She vaguely wondered what others might think when they saw her on her knees, smooching and embracing a custom big rig as if one would a lover, and was abruptly consumed by a bout of hysterics. Giggling fanatically, she sat down and cuddled up against the warm metal before taking another sip from her glass.

Another rumble, this time in amusement. The surface she was leaning against backed away slowly, earning a strangled "_Hey!_" from the flustered female as she flailed her free arm frantically to prevent herself from sprawling onto the ground. After making sure his actions had not hurt the human in any way, the semi split up and rearranged himself into his bipedal mode. Servomechanisms hissed softly as the giant mech lowered himself until he was at optic level with the small human staring up at him with wide, accusing eyes.

"Good evening, Riley,"

"Hi!" she repeated. Her silly, carefree grin was back, and Optimus thought it was the most _adorable_ facial expression he had ever seen. The glass was lowered to the hangar floor as the human stood up, legs slightly wobbly, and planted a kiss on the bridge of his nose.

"The party was fun, but then I started to miss you, so I came out to see you!"

His spark warmed at her simple yet honest and heartfelt display of affection. She could have stayed inside the human hangar along with her comrades and he would not have held it against her. After all, opportunities for the soldiers to relax as such were rare due to the constant threat of the Decepticons. Why would he blame her for treasuring such moments of celebration with her friends? Yet, rather than staying with her own kind, Riley had chosen to accompany _him_. _He_ was still at the foremost of her mind despite her drunken state. The implications of this knowledge pleased him more than he could ever show.

"You're so _pretty_,"

Optics widened in surprise, and cooling fans started up at their lowest settings. Riley just laughed and kissed him on his lower derma.

"You are intoxicated," he informed her, reaching out to cup a servo behind her in fear that she might lose her balance.

Riley tilted her head slightly, stepping back to lean against the aforementioned servo.

"_Maybe_," she admitted sheepishly. Her eyes suddenly shone with mirth, "But that doesn't change the fact that you're _really pretty_."

His cooling fans sped up, but she didn't seem to have noticed.

"Yeah you're _super pretty_," she was saying, "and handsome, too. And brave. And kind. And _oooh_, you're _tall_. _Really_ tall."

Then she looked him straight in the optics and said matter-of-factly, "I want to climb you."

His vocalizer shorted out for half a second, "…Pardon?"

Before he knew it she had already hoisted herself up his left pede, skilled fingers finding handholds along the seams of his armour as she slowly scaled her way upwards.

His servo hovered beneath her, ready to catch her if she should fall, but he made no attempt to stop her, merely staring at her incredulously as she continued her ascent.

"May I ask what you are hoping to attain from this?"

"I don't know," came her reply, "But what's the use of having a tall boyfriend if you can't climb him?"

" …Your reasoning is flawed,"

"No it's not," she panted, hauling herself onto his knee joint to catch her breath- he was still crouching, so the armour covering his upper thigh was relatively horizontal. Having rested sufficiently, she made her way towards his chassis, gripping his abdomen plating tightly as she reached for the nearest cable.

Optimus watched her intently, not trusting himself even to _move_ on account of the chance that he might knock her off or throw her off balance by accident. He spotted the error even before it happened. Riley, having overestimated her ability to hold on, had grabbed at a piece of armour and slipped, tumbling backward and landing into his waiting servo awkwardly. Rising to full height, he brought the human to optic level, pinning her under his pointed stare.

"Uh, whoops!" Riley laughed shakily, "I hadn't… meant to do that."

"You _do _understand," Optimus told her, his tone laced with fond exasperation, "that had I not caught you, you would have been seriously damaged, do you not?"

"Course I do!" she was beaming again, "That's why I would _never_ climb you when you're in recharge or when you're busy."

_Alcohol_, Optimus noted in amusement, _does wonders in inhibiting one's logical reasoning_.

Venting softly, he brought her closer to his faceplate, watching as she perked up instantly and all but flung herself at him, burying her face into his warm metal contently.

He could not help teasing her a little, "Your behavior is identical to that of a sparkling when you are intoxicated."

"Mmhmm," Riley mumbled lazily, a hand tracing slow circles into the edge of his mouth plate. His engine emitted a smooth, gentle _purr_ at the contact and he shuttered his optics as he raised his free servo to press her warm frame closer to him.

"Hey, Riley! Where _are_ you? I've been looking for you- _oh_. Sorry, I didn't realize…"

They jerked apart, unanimously turning to stare at the unwelcome intruder who was trying his best to look anywhere _except_ in their direction.

"Imma leave now. You guys can, uh, resume whatever you were doing. Bye!"

With that the unfortunate soldier fled back towards the hangar as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Huh,"

Optimus glanced back at the human in his servo, whose expression could be described as one of _calm contemplation_.

"I guess I should be prepared for the onslaught of teasing and questions that will take place next morning,"

He uttered a small sound of astonishment, "Were your comrades not aware of our relationship?"

"Not _really_," she grabbed the thumb digit on his free servo and curled it around her waist. Understanding her gesture, he rested his remaining digits carefully along her back, taking extra care not to put too much pressure on the human's frame.

_She had seen me in battle_, he marveled to himself, _she is aware of what I am capable of, yet she does not display a single indication of fear at being held by me in this manner_.

"I mean, I told them about the, you know, the _kiss_," she blushed and averted her gaze, "cuz they dared me to do it and they would just keep pestering me until I gave them _something_. But apart from that I… I thought it would be rude to tell them anything without asking you first, since this affects you too. So I think they just _assumed_ it was a one-time thing?"

"I understand," he rumbled softly, optics bright with affection. His dermas gently brushed across her forehead and she closed her eyes, savouring the faint scent of metal and energon. The scent of safety and security and happiness.

The scent of wholeness and completion.

"Would you prefer it if we were to spend our time somewhere more private?"

Her eager nod was all he needed.

* * *

***Next morning***

There was a sound of shattered glass and a resounding thud accompanied by unintelligible swearing as the soldier picked himself up from the floor gingerly.

Dozens of people came running, all drawn by the ruckus he caused.

The soldier motioned angrily at the mess on the ground.

"Who on _earth_ left their drink on the hangar floor?"

* * *

**What a waste of perfectly good alcohol, am I right?**

**That poor dude. First he intrudes into OP and Riley's alone time, then **_**this**_**! He really can't catch a break, can he?**

**Not to mention, I have no intention of naming him. He will forever be nameless**


	4. Introductions

**This plot bunny latched on to me one day and wouldn't let go until I wrote it down**

**Chapter warning: suggestive themes**

* * *

"And over here is the Autobot hangar," Riley announced, glancing back at the two new recruits, "Wait here so I can see if they're recharging. If they are, we shouldn't disturb them. They _hate_ getting roused from recharge, I can tell you."

Leaving the two nervous recruits behind she darted forwards, peering through the hangar door. The hangar was mostly empty, with the exception of a custom Peterbilt parked alone in the centre. As she watched, the headlights of the semi flickered on and off as if in greeting. Her face split into a wide grin and she waved back before ducking out of the hangar.

Optimus was awake. Perfect.

She beckoned the two recruits and watched as they peeked into the hangar curiously.

"Okay, _that_," she pointed at the Peterbilt, "is Optimus Prime's alt mode. You've met him before when he introduced the Autobots, right?"

A couple of silent nods.

_Okay, this will not do_, she thought to herself, _time to liven things up_.

"_So_," her eyes glinted mischievously as she regarded the two, "be honest with me now, do you think he's attractive?"

Emily, the recruit on the left, made a soft choking sound, while the one on the right, Camila, immediately flushed crimson.

"What are you talking about?" Camila hissed, "I don't… why would you… he's an _alien_, for goodness sake, how can I find him attractive?"

Riley's mouth twitched as she struggled to hold back a laugh. This was going to be _fun_.

"Well, to start off, he's _kind_ and _humble_," Riley began, "He _knelt down_ to address you, didn't he? I mean, the other Autobots didn't do _that_."

"No, they didn't," admitted Camila, "so he's nice. That doesn't make him _attractive_."

"Oh?" Riley mocked a look of genuine surprise, "Let's continue then. He has a sort of _leadership aura_ around him, makes people want to follow him to the death."

"That's true," said Emily, "I felt it too. It's like… you just _know_ he's right, and you would do anything he tells you, no questions asked."

"Yes, yes, exactly!" Riley said excitedly. Her voice turned dreamy, "Oh, you should see him fight. The Autobots duel with each other from time to time, and Optimus wins _every single duel_. Seriously. He has these _awesome_ glowing hot swords that come out of his arms, and _man_ does he know how to use them.

"You may _think_ he can't move very fast, given he's the biggest among the Autobots, but you'd be dead wrong. When he strikes, he's like a viper, swift and accurate and deadly. I've seen fights that lasted exactly five seconds. The other Bot had barely taken out his weapons when Optimus straight-up twisted his arm behind him and pressed a sword against his neck,"

She paused, glancing smugly at the two. They were staring at her open-mouthed.

"Okay," Camila rasped a few seconds later, "I'm not gonna lie. That actually sounds hot."

Riley's eyes _gleamed_ with triumph. Optimus was _definitely_ going to enjoy this next part.

"What about his appearance, then?" she said slyly, "Surely I can't be the only one who notices."

"What _about_ his appearance?" Emily asked, almost as if she was afraid of the answer.

"Well, _nothing much_," Riley feigned nonchalance, "It's just that he's _thirty-two feet tall_, did you know that? Thirty-two feet, that's like _four stories_ high.

"Oh, and take a look at his alt mode, will you? That thing is _insane_. You're looking at a vehicle with an engine with four hundred and seventy-five horsepower. He can haul up to _four hundred thousand_ pounds behind him, accelerating from rest to over a hundred miles per hour in less than ten seconds. The entire vehicle is _pure power_, I'm telling you."

She smirked at Camila, who looked like she was about to drool.

"And that's just his alt mode. I dare you to look me in the eye and tell me his bipedal mode isn't attractive. Those slim, shapely thighs, his aesthetically pleasing armour, his _paint job_… Oh my gosh, red hot flames licking up his arms and legs… _tell me_ if that doesn't turn you on!

"Oh, don't even get me started on his _voice_. Goodness, his _voice_ is the _definition_ of hot. Just imagine his voice saying your name, that warm, velvety, deep tone of his caressing every syllable-"

"Alright, alright, we get it," both of them were looking slightly out of breath at this point, "we get it, he's hot."

The sudden glint in Riley's eyes made Camila wonder if she had said the wrong thing.

"Glad we're all on the same page," Riley bit her lip to keep herself from laughing, "Too bad he's already taken."

Emily's eyes grew so wide that Riley was tempted to snap a picture of her with her phone. Camila just stared at her as if she had grown another head.

"They can date?"

"Of course," Riley couldn't help feeling the tiniest bit offended, "They may not _look_ like humans, but they have emotions and feelings too, you know."

"No, I _knew_ that," said Camila, "but I hadn't realized there were, well, _girl Transformers_."

"How do you know he's dating a _Cybertronian_?"

At the gobsmacked looks on both their faces, Riley made a mental note to _always_ volunteer to be the one who introduces new recruits.

"Now wait a second here-"

"Do you actually mean-"

"_No way_!" Camila's voice was hushed as both girls engaged in gossip mode, "Who is it? Tell us!"

Riley's grin grew even wider, "Why don't you ask him yourselves?"

Then she proceeded to drag the two recruits into the middle of the hangar. Ignoring their panicked attempts to stop her, she sauntered over to the truck, fondly brushing her fingers over the Autobot insignia above his grille.

There was a small hiss of escaped pressurized gas, and the Peterbilt gradually changed shape in front of them, much to the horror of the two recruits.

The Autobot leader knelt slowly, surveying the scene before him. Camila's heart almost stopped when his optics glanced at her direction. For some reason, Riley was _still smiling_, as if she hadn't just interrupted the alien's rest and caused him to transform for no reason. Camila found herself praying desperately that the Prime wouldn't be angry at the wake-up call and _fire her on her first day_.

"Good afternoon, Optimus!" said Riley cheerfully.

Optimus gazed at Riley, his optics shining with barely hidden amusement.

"Good afternoon to all of you," he nodded at the recruits in greeting before turning back to Riley, his tone deliberately serious, "I heard the entire conversation that took place outside. Your comrades would like to know more about my, as humans call it, 'love life', is that correct?"

Camila closed her eyes and waited for death.

"Oh yeah," said Riley, that stupid grin still on her face, "one more thing you should know about Cybertronians. They have _excellent_ hearing."

_Oh gosh_. As if suddenly remembering that she could speak, Camila immediately tried to rectify the situation.

"We are _so sorry_, sir. We hadn't meant to pry. We were just… curious," she blabbered, gulping as the piercing, glowing optics of the Autobot focused on her, "Please don't take offence, sir, we didn't mean it… We won't do it again, sir."

_Please don't fire me please don't fire me please don't fire me._

The Autobot leader merely faced Riley once more.

"Riley, stop scarring the new recruits," he reprimanded gently, causing her to snigger.

"Well, if I don't scar them, someone else will," she replied coyly, "I'd much rather it be done _properly_, thank you very much."

"I doubt this was what Major Lennox had in mind when he asked you to give the new recruits a tour of the base,"

She smiled cheekily at him and turned back towards the two recruits, who were staring at her as if she had a death wish.

"You _do_ want to know who he's dating, right?"

A bout of frantic head-shaking caused her to scoff.

"Come on now, you know you do,"

With that, she abandoned all pretence and kissed Optimus on his dermas, earning loud gasps from the two.

She was starting to pull away when Optimus cupped a servo around her body and pressed her closer to his faceplate, deepening the kiss. His engine rumbled, the sound deep and rolling, and she let out a breathless gasp.

More than ten seconds later he broke the kiss, his optics sharp and intense as they burned themselves into her eyes.

"Come to my office after you have finished the tour," his voice dropped to their lowest register, "and we shall _finish what you have started_."

Being the gentlemech he was, he waited until her legs were firm enough to hold her weight before retreating his servo, transforming back into his vehicular mode and backing away.

A shaky glance at the two recruits showed that they were just as surprised at development as she was.

"Okay, um"- _gosh, stop trembling_, she told herself- "let's continue the tour. Next is the uh… the mess hall, yes. Let's go now,"

_Yes_, she decided, _she should always volunteer to introduce new recruits_.

* * *

**Who knew Optimus liked being praised that much? Riley's definitely going to hurry through the rest of the tour ;)**

**By the way, the specs about his alt are real. I literally Googled 'Peterbilt 379 specs'**


	5. Stars

**For the first time in a million stellar cycles, Optimus Prime smiled**

**I ****envisioned this scene happening rather early on in their relationship as I was writing it. I pictured it around two to three weeks after Truth or Dare. Still not certain whether this comes first or Just a Little Tipsy, but it definitely comes before One Last Farewell and Introductions :)**

* * *

The night sky of Diego Garcia had always been beautiful. Being relatively isolated from other forms of civilization, it provided them with a clear, unobstructed view of the stars, which shimmered and twinkled faintly in the background.

Not that Riley was paying much attention to the stars at that moment. She couldn't be, not when something- _someone_ a lot more magnificent was right in front of her.

Optimus Prime was a spectacle to behold, even when doing something as simple as _standing_. Pale moonlight showered upon his armour as he stood, silent and stoic, calmly gazing into the far distance. His shadow stretched across the grass, not the least bit intimidating despite its size, for the figure it resembled was both familiar and reassuring, promising safety and protection.

Though Riley had no doubts that Optimus already knew she was there- highly sensitive war-trained sensors, as well as millions of years of experience, ensured that no one could sneak up on Optimus without him knowing, he made no move to acknowledge her presence yet, continuing to stand with his servos clasped behind his back as he surveyed the horizon. The scene was so peaceful and quiet that Riley felt bad for intruding on such a private moment.

Then he turned to look at her and _oh gosh_, the moonlight danced across his armour as he moved and _he was so beautiful that she could cry_.

"I have always enjoyed coming here to, as humans say, clear my thoughts," his optics glowed the way they did when he was satisfied or happy- brighter than normal, but the light they emitted was a deeper azure instead of a harsh icy blue like when he was angry, "I find the silence soothing and refreshing."

There were no words she could say that could truly articulate what she was feeling at the moment, so she let her actions speak for herself, walking over to him and letting him pick her up. A few seconds later she was sitting snugly in her little perch on Optimus's servo, leaning back against the thumb digit that curved around her waist, preventing her from falling to her death. Not that she was at all worried. She trusted Optimus with her life.

"The planet Venus is visible to the human eye tonight," Optimus told her softly. His voice seemed to seep straight into her bones and make them vibrate as he spoke, "If that is your wish, I can show it to you."

She nodded wordlessly, mainly because she seemed to have forgotten how to speak. How does one cope when they find themselves the centre of attention of a being so powerful and important and wise, yet at the same time so gentle and humble?

With the care of someone handling a piece of priceless china, he slowly raised her to optic level before gingerly guiding her head in the right direction. Warm, living metal digits capable of crushing steel gently caressed her cheek as she leaned into them without fear, peering curiously into the night sky.

"I don't see it," she confessed a few seconds later, glancing at Optimus sheepishly. His gaze warmed minutely and he raised his free servo, pointing towards a bright dot in the atmosphere.

"_Oh_," she breathed, following his digit, "I thought that was a star."

"An understandable mistake. You are untrained in the astronomical field,"

For a while, they stayed in companionable silence.

"Did you know," Optimus said suddenly, "that Venus was named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty?"

His optics found hers, "An apt coincidence, is it not?"

She flushed. For an alien who has had no experience whatsoever in human romance, Optimus was giving most men a run for their money.

"_You're_ beautiful," she whispered finally, lifting her hand- her minuscule, insignificant hand- and running it down the bridge of his nose.

Blue light bathed her as Optimus's optics flared even brighter. Anybody else in her place would be scared, but she knew from the way his lower optic lid crinkled upwards that this was his version of a smile.

"As are you," he replied. Then he made a low rumbling sound that lasted for roughly three seconds, occasionally punctuated by soft clicks of varying pitches. It ended with a mechanical whirring not dissimilar to a gentle purr. Riley instantly knew that the sound's origin was not of this planet.

"What does it mean?" she asked, watching Optimus blink as if surprised by her question. _No one has ever asked him for a translation before_, she realized.

"The phrase of which I have uttered is a… term of endearment in our language," he sounded tentative, almost hesitant.

Was it just her, or was Optimus _embarrassed_?

"An approximate translation would be 'my beloved one'," he continued, "it suggests that your spark- _you_, are beloved above all."

Riley's breath caught in her throat.

"Say it again," she pleaded, and Optimus did, staring straight into her eyes and chasing away any doubt that he might have meant it for anyone else.

Time froze, and everything else faded away. Trivial. Unimportant. All that's left is her. And Optimus.

Optimus, Optimus was like a star. Ageless and eternal, shining with infinite wisdom, and absolutely _breathtaking_ to look at. Powerful, awe-inspiring and magnificent, bringing light and warmth through his leadership and courage. Optimus was a star. A star that _loved her_.

A star that she loved back.

Then she blinked and the spell ended, the enchantment lifting and expelling them back into the real world.

"You should rest,"

She was about to reply but was cut off by a yawn. Covering her mouth with a hand, she nodded in submission and, in a moment of mischievousness, curled up in his servo, falling asleep under a haze of warmth and fuzziness.

Optimus froze, unable to believe it when his scanners informed him the femme was asleep. _ASLEEP_. Riley Brown was held by a titan to her kind, suspended thirty feet into the air and she was _asleep_.

If Optimus had had any doubts about Riley's trust in him, they were all vanquished the instance his scanners detected Riley entering the first stage of sleep.

As he observed the sleeping human, Optimus could not stop himself from reaching out and stroking the delicate creature that had long since stolen his spark.

"_You-who-are-beloved-above-all-sparks_," he rumbled gently at her sleeping form in his native tongue, "_I-protect-guard-keepsafe-forever-swearonspark_."

He drew back, afraid that his actions might have startled the human back into wakefulness, ending the perfect display of vulnerability curled up ever so trustingly in his servo.

_Riley smiled in her sleep._

For the umpteenth time that night, his spark swelled with affection and love in its chamber, threatening to burst from the onslaught of emotions the one, simple act had brought. Something that had become a regular occurrence ever since he met Riley.

Riley. It was amazing how an organism comprising mainly of water and repeating units of protein could be so _alive_, could bring so much light to his life.

Riley was like a star, Optimus realized. A flash of brilliance, then forever gone from the universe. Humans, he understood, did not live for long. Yet the shortest living stars always shone the brightest, stunning countless civilizations with their beauty. Yes, Riley was a star. Her life was a flash compared to his, yet that flash, momentary as it was, had lit up his entire existence.

Optimus looked down at the young star he cradled in his servos. A beacon of light, of hope, of happiness, that he was lucky enough to encounter and love.

For the first time in a million stellar cycles, Optimus Prime smiled.

* * *

**Kudos to Arabis fans who noticed the Signature reference :D**


	6. The NEST Soldiers Play Among Us

**Happy Halloween, everybody! To celebrate this holiday, I wanted to write something scary and mysterious, but since I have zero experience in writing horror, I've decided to write something a little (just a **_**little**_**, mind you) spooky but also lighthearted. My brain, for some reason, came up with **_**this**_**.**

**I'm pretty sure about 90% of the internet has been infected by the Among Us craze. As you can probably tell, I'm one of them.**

* * *

The overhead lights flickered and went out.

Riley groaned, freeing the mini flashlight clipped to her belt and flipping the switch to 'on'. A thin line of light that barely improved her vision appeared, weak and faint against the enveloping darkness.

She was going to have to stop at Electrical to fix the lights then. That's okay, she was headed towards the Storage Room anyways, and Electrical was along the way.

A blur of red_(? Is that red? Or pink, maybe? It was too dark to tell)_ streaked past her right before she entered Electrical, startling her. A sense of foreboding settled lightly in her stomach, and she quickened her pace, wishing to get the lights up as soon as possible. The eerie darkness, coupled with the sound of her own laboured breathing, was giving her the sensation of being watched, and it was creeping her out.

With a grunt, she pushed the lever controlling the lights back to its original position (there was no way this was accidental. Someone did this _on purpose_). The lights responded cheerfully, blinking on instantly and widening her scope of vision. She heaved a quiet sigh of relief. She _really_ hated the dark.

Just as she was about to leave, she saw a crumpled form out of the corner of her left eye. A horrified gasp escaped her when she got near enough to recognise what it was.

There was a dead body on the ground in front of her.

She thumbed a button on her walkie talkie and raised it to her mouth.

"Guys, we have a problem,"

* * *

'Ghost-Jessie' now wore a blue glow-in-the-dark wristband that signified her death. She was scowling, no doubt pissed by the fact that she was their first casualty. Following the mutually agreed rules set from earlier, she remained silent even as more and more people troped into the Autobot Hangar, all summoned by Riley's message.

"Okay, who killed Jessie?" Major Lennox demanded, levelling them all with an 'I-see-you' stare, "Everyone state where they were when the body was found. ASAP."

"I was fixing the lights," Riley said immediately, drawing his attention, "I was just leaving Electrical when I found her. It. The body."

"Did you see anything else? Anything that may be a clue to whoever did it?" Camila asked.

"Not really, the flashlights suck, so I could barely see a thing other than vague shapes and- _wait_, I remember seeing red," Riley replied, dragging her gaze across everyone gathered. There were ten in total, herself included.

Well, Jessie died, so technically there were only _nine_ people there.

"You are certain you saw red," Optimus pressed, his signature phrasing once again making what he said sound like both a question and a statement.

"I think so. But it was really dark, so I'm not really sure," Riley frowned, "It might be red, or maybe pink…"

She trailed off as her eyes reached Arcee. Arcee, who had _pink armour_.

"It wasn't me," the femme cut in smoothly, crossing her arms in front of her chest, "I was at Admin. Sideswipe can vouch for me."

"Yeah, I saw her. She's cool," Sideswipe interjected.

"That doesn't prove anything. There are two imposters. You could just be covering for her," Steve pointed out.

"Guys," Riley checked her datapad, "we have twenty seconds left to vote."

"Okay, let's do this. I vote Arcee," Steve said, "Who's with me?"

"It might be better to wait for more evidence first," Camila turned to Riley, her expression serious, "Are you _sure_ it was pink?"

"I think? I don't know!" Riley replied, panicked, "It was just a blur. Of… _something_. It could be pink. Or it could just be my imagination."

"Wow, that's real helpful," Lennox said dryly, "Just to be safe, do you think we should vote her out?"

"I don't- maybe?" Her hands were starting to sweat. She wasn't used to making big decisions like this. Especially ones that could literally affect the outcome of the entire game.

"Then it's decided. Everyone who agrees to eliminate Arcee, a show of hands please?" Lennox lifted his hand, staring at the rest of them expectantly.

Steve raised his hand instantly, followed by Camila and Bumblebee. Optimus put his servo up after several seconds of deliberation, a motion which Riley then hesitantly copied.

"Wheeljack? We've decided to remove Arcee," Lennox called out. A few moments later a nearby speaker crackled to life.

"Arcee eh? Good try, but she wasn't an imposter," Wheeljack's cheerful voice piped up, "There are two remaining imposters. Better luck next time!"

Steve swore. Arcee threw Riley a baleful glare before changing a section of armour on her wrist to blue- proof that she no longer qualified as 'living'.

Riley's heart sunk. The crew-to-imposter ratio just shrunk, and it was practically her fault. She _knew_ she shouldn't have trusted what she thought she saw. Who on earth tried to see _colour_ in the _dark_?

_Okay_, she thought silently, _Arcee's innocent, but she said she met with Sideswipe, and he was willing to clear her, so that means Sideswipe should be safe too_.

"We should pair up so we're less easy to kill," Lennox suggested, looking at Optimus, who nodded in confirmation.

"Riley, you wanna pair with me?" Steve asked eagerly, holding out an arm towards her.

Riley blinked, suddenly uncomfortable, "Uh… I think I would rather go with Optimus."

She quickly walked over to Optimus, steadfastly ignoring the feeling of Steve's stare on her back. Kneeling down, Optimus stretched out his servo to receive her but was quickly interrupted by Lennox.

"Hey, no picking up other players. We need everyone to have an equal chance of getting killed,"

Right, since being high above the ground _would_ make killing her significantly harder.

She grinned up at Optimus, who had straightened himself back to full height, "Don't worry, I have full confidence in your ability to protect me even with me on the ground."

"I am unable to do much to ensure your safety," Optimus said slowly, helm slightly tilted, "We are not allowed to retaliate against imposter attacks."

"Oh, I know that," Riley's grin grew wider, "But _no one_ would dare attack me in front of you."

Ex-venting in amusement, Optimus made to reply but was cut off by Lennox.

"Has everyone paired up yet?"

Riley looked around the room. Jessie and Arcee were dead, so only four pairs were formed, including her and Optimus. Steve stood by Mirage, Camila was chatting casually with Bumblebee, and Sideswipe was rocking impatiently on his wheels behind Lennox.

"Alright then," Lennox brought his palms together with a loud clap, "let's win this thing, people."

* * *

Everyone had laughed when Camila had jokingly said that they should hold a real-life Among Us tournament for Halloween.

"Seriously though," she had said once they had sobered up, "we should actually do it. It would be fun!"

And so they had started scheming, coming up with rules and regulations that would make the game both human and Autobot friendly, as well as devising tasks that they would have to finish in order to win.

Roping the Autobots into this had been easy. Bumblebee had been exuberant when he heard about their plan, agreeing to join almost immediately and dragging Arcee and Mirage along with him. Getting Sideswipe to join had been a little tricker, but he said yes after hearing that both Bumblebee and Mirage had joined, promising to "show those two losers who's boss". All it took to persuade Optimus was Riley saying "please?" while staring pleadingly into his optics (Riley considered this payback for making her go vegan. Yes, she knew it was good for the animals and stuff, but _gosh_ did she miss scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast).

The rules were simple: Everyone had six tasks to finish, except for the two imposters, and they win when all the tasks had been finished. Imposters could sabotage lights, doors, and communications (the display of tasks on everyone's datapads), and kill people using a holo-knife that Wheeljack had gleefully created purely for this occasion. When a person was killed, their datapad would vibrate, alerting them to their own 'death', and they would have to lie down on the floor until someone else found them.

Whenever someone discovered a body, a group meeting must be called in the Autobot Hangar, where everyone would either vote someone out or do nothing. One emergency group meeting could be held each game, activated when a crewmate pressed a button located at the Autobot Hangar, and it was the only time a group meeting could be held without the discovery of a body. The imposters win when the number of crewmates was equal to or less than the number of imposters.

To offset the unfairness brought forward by the absence of vents and emergency sabotages, imposters were given a map of the base indicating the position of every single crew member, which they could use to plan their kills and escapes. Since the Autobots' ability to pick up life signals from miles away would render the entire game unplayable, the five Autobots were required to offline any long-range and mid-range scanners before the game started.

"Where would you like to begin?" Optimus asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

Riley pulled out her datapad, drawing up the list Wheeljack had sent her.

_Crewmate_

_( ) Firing range: Hit targets_

_( ) Storage: Clean weapons_

_( ) Medbay: Medical check-up_

_( ) Cafeteria: Wipe tables_

_( ) Training Hangar 2: Perform calculations_

_( ) Living quarters: Set alarm_

"When we first started, I wanted to finish off the tasks furthest away from the Autobot Hangar first so that I wouldn't have to walk all the way every time there's a group meeting," she said, showing Optimus her list, "But after Jessie, I think it's better to complete as many tasks as fast as possible, so let's just finish the ones closest to us first."

"The nearest room listed would be Medbay," Optimus noted, "We shall begin there, then."

"Sure!"

* * *

The medical scan ran through her body, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake. (Ratchet had insisted on adding this task when he heard that tasks could be literally anything)

"I see no concerning issues, you are free to leave," Ratchet said after a moment.

"Thanks, Ratchet!" Riley said good-naturedly, hopping on Optimus's servo so that he could lower her back to the ground.

Ratchet snorted, turning back to his work, "Be careful out there. I won't be pleased if one of you idiots got hurt because of a stupid game."

Riley choked back a laugh. "Don't worry, we won't get hurt," she waited until Ratchet nodded approvingly before adding, "The objective of the imposters is to _kill_ people, not hurt them, so we should be just fine."

The two of them fled from the Medbay before Ratchet could react, stopping at the hallway quite some distance away. Riley was doubled over with laughter, one hand braced against Optimus's right pede for balance

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe I just said that," Riley said breathlessly, fanning her face to cool herself down.

"It might have been unwise to antagonize Ratchet," Optimus acknowledged, crouching down and brushing the hair out of her eyes.

His digit lingered on her cheek, the gesture affectionate and gentle, and she smiled, feeling a warmth spread from her head to the tip of her toes. Reaching up to place a hand on the warm metal, she opened her mouth-

-and her walkie talkie sputtered to life, Camila's voice shrieking.

"_Oh gosh Bumblebee just died!_"

They jerked apart, sharing a concerned glance before sprinting for the Autobot Hangar.

(Well, _Riley_ sprinted. Optimus just… walked beside her. Slowly)

When they arrived the hangar was mostly empty with the exception of Sideswipe, who was skating around aimlessly.

"Where's Major Lennox?" Riley asked, looking around for a sign of the man.

"We split up," Sideswipe replied, "I had tasks at the Firing Range, which is right next to here, but his tasks were at the Garage, which was all the way across the base. We didn't want to waste time waiting for each other to finish."

That… made sense, Riley supposed. There was no reason to suspect any of them yet.

Steve arrived completely out of breath, his short, messy black hair completely matted with sweat.

"I couldn't… find… Mirage," he wheezed out, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, "We were supposed to be… doing tasks together. Just turned around… and he was gone."

Just as she was about to question him, Mirage arrived, followed by Lennox, Camila, and Bumblebee, who had already turned a section of his armour blue.

Camila was shaking, her breaths short and uneven as she gripped one hand tightly with the other.

"I was at Storage, the one next to the Garage," she told them, her voice uneven, "I was just doing a task- cleaning the weapons. I turned around for one second, and then he was dead!"

"Did you see anyone?" Lennox asked.

"No, it was as if there was nobody there. One second Bumblebee was still standing behind me, and the next he was crashing to the ground,"

Lennox's face did something complicated, as if he was holding back a grimace.

"I was at the Garage, cleaning one of the trucks," he said slowly, brows narrowing to a frown, "I saw Bumblebee enter Storage, no one else was behind him, and a minute later he was dead."

"What are you saying, Major?" Steve looked from Lennox to Camila, "You think she did it?"

"Woah, woah, woah," Camila looked up in anger, "_I'm_ not the one suspicious here. If anyone's sus around here, it's _you two_. Why weren't you with your partners, huh? Did you ditch them to kill Bumblebee?"

"Hey, Mirage disappeared on _me_. Not the other way around," Steve retorted, "Speaking of which, where _were_ you, Mirage? 'Cause what you did was kinda sus, not gonna lie."

"You were slowing me down," Mirage said simply, "What I did was necessary to maximize the number of tasks done over the same period of time."

"That's sus. That's _so sus_," Steve said indignantly, "That's it, I'm voting for you this round."

"Do what you must," Mirage was unmoved, "I speak the truth."

"Guys, the time," Riley cut in, they had twenty seconds left.

"Those who vote for getting rid of Mirage, put your hands up," Steve said, quickly raising his own.

Riley looked up at Optimus, "I don't know, what should I do?"

"I believe it best to exercise prudence at this stage," he replied, glowing blue optics flitting from person to person, "it would be detrimental to our objective if we were to cast out our allies."

Riley agreed wholeheartedly.

When the vote ended, no one was outed. Sideswipe and Mirage gave up their votes while Camila and Lennox voted each other. After a moment of indecisiveness, Camila walked up to Lennox and asked to be part of his group.

"If I get killed, then you'll know it was him," she told Riley, who nodded in understanding.

Riley took a deep breath as the grim reality of the situation hit her. There were only five crewmates left. The imposters only had to kill three more people, and they would lose.

And then they were off to the next task.

* * *

_Crewmate_

_( ) Firing range: Hit targets_

_( ) Storage: Clean weapons_

_(✔) Medbay: Medical check-up_

_( ) Cafeteria: Wipe tables_

_( ) Training Hangar 2: Perform calculations_

_( ) Living quarters: Set alarm_

"We could do the last one, I guess," Riley said, frowning at her datapad, "it seems to be the easiest, so it'll be done pretty quickly."

"Let us be on our way then," Optimus said, taking care to adjust the size of his strides so that Riley could keep up.

They arrived at the entrance to the soldiers' living quarters sometime after, and Riley turned to glance at Optimus sheepishly.

"You don't fit in here, so you may have to wait outside…"

"I understand," Optimus replied, kneeling down to face her, "I shall stand guard here."

"Don't die," Riley told him seriously, embracing the servo he offered her tightly, "I don't wanna come out here and see you lying on the ground."

"I will not die," Optimus promised, running his thumb-digit along her side before rising back to full height.

With one last backward glance, Riley pushed open the door and slipped inside.

Her bunk was easy enough to find, being the furthest bed from the entrance. Unfortunately, that also meant she spent a lot of time traversing across the building to reach it. She ran as fast as could, ducking under the occasional Mosquito Baby Maker to avoid hitting her head. Once she had set the alarm by her bedside to six o'clock (it had been set to three in the afternoon beforehand, probably as a practical joke), she brought up the list again.

"Okay, Wheeljack, I've completed the task in Living quarters," she called out, watching as the task got crossed off from the list.

Two down, four to go.

Optimus was at the same place where she'd left him, studying both sides of the hallway intently for anyone passing by.

"Hey there," she said cheerily, and Optimus's optics snapped right to her, his expression softening, "Up next is target practice. I finally get to shoot something."

"You bear an unnerving similarity with Ironhide in that aspect," Optimus observed, a faint smile tugging his dermas.

"I'll take that as a compliment,"

Together, they approached the Firing Range, with Optimus leading the way. When he got to the entrance his steps faltered, then stopped.

"It would seem that shooting at targets may have to wait," he told her, standing aside so that she could see what had caught his attention.

Right at the middle of the open ground, lying on his side with his optics offline, was Mirage.

* * *

Mirage was dead.

Only four crew members were left.

"Everyone. State where they were. Now," Lennox demanded. He had rushed in with Sideswipe several seconds after the news about Mirage's death had been released.

"We were in the Firing Range. We were the ones who found the body," Riley reported.

"Were you the ones who _found_ it, or were you the ones who _made_ it?" Steve challenged, "This is the second body you've discovered, Riley. I have to say, you're looking really sus right now."

"Excuse me?" Riley was outraged, "I've been with Optimus this whole time. Where have _you_ been? Your partner was _killed_, need I remind you?"

"It's not _my_ fault Mirage pulled another disappearing trick on me, you know,"

"Stop, you two, this isn't helping anyone," Lennox commanded, "What we really need to know is the list of people who had been to the Firing Range within this hour."

Apart from herself and Optimus, Riley honestly couldn't remember seeing anyone near the Firing R- _oh gosh Sideswipe had said he had tasks at the Firing Range_.

Votes were cast. Riley had silently crossed her fingers and voted for Sideswipe. Both Camila and Sideswipe voted for Steve, while Steve voted for her. Lennox and Optimus had, strangely, given up their votes. Since the number of votes voting for Steve was the same as the number of votes given up, no one was outed this round either.

"What now?" Riley asked Optimus, "Two more kills and the imposters win."

"Indeed," he replied gravely, "We must precede with extreme caution."

* * *

It happened so sudden that it caught them both off guard.

They were at the hangar door of Training Hangar Two, about to enter to do a task, when Lennox appeared in the hallway, accompanied by Camila. Riley had raised her hand, ready to greet them, when Lennox pulled out a holo-knife and ran it across Camila's throat. She made a quiet noise of surprise before her eyes widened in understanding. Sending Lennox a nasty glare, she lay down onto the ground, limp and unmoving.

Giving them a sinister grin, Lennox stepped in front of the body, blocking it from their path (they had to come within close range to a body before they could call a group meeting).

Riley panicked. One more kill, and the imposters win.

Optimus reacted first. Spinning around, he strode into the training hangar.

"In here, Riley, quickly," he said urgently. Riley's hopes soared. Each hangar had two entrances. They could escape from the other side of the hangar, dash over to the Autobot Hangar, and press the button for an emergency meeting. Then, they could kick Lennox out and they would be safe.

The big question now was whether they would make it to the Autobot Hangar alive.

Riley sprinted across the training hangar, heart _thud thud thudding_ inside her chest. _Come on Riley, faster, faster, you can do it, go, go, go!_

The hangar's exit was right in front of her now, and she could hear Optimus coming up from behind. It was so close, they were so close to freedom-

The door slammed shut centimetres in front of her.

No. No no no no no. _She forgot that imposters could sabotage doors! How could she have forgotten such an important fact?_ Riley whirled around, meeting Optimus's equally horrified gaze. The hangar second door slid to a close across the room.

"Wait, he locked us both in?" Riley looked up at Optimus, her face marred with confusion.

"Indeed," Optimus replied, taking a step towards her.

A prickle of unease sprung up at the back of her mind. Something was wrong here, she could tell.

Why would Lennox, who had already trapped the both of them, lock her in the hangar with Optimus?

Something dawned upon her, clarity suddenly finding its way into her mind, and she took a step back from Optimus.

Optimus, who was the only remaining Autobot with _red armour_, who had voted to kick out Arcee, who had, throughout the whole time they were paired up, not _once_ mentioned his own tasks.

Optimus, who would have no doubt had enough time to head to the Training Range, kill Mirage, and arrive back at the entrance to the Living Quarters with her being none the wiser…

"_You_," she breathed out, staring at him with horrified amazement, "_you_ are other imposter."

Optimus's optics lit up proudly, "You have once again exceeded my expectations, my little soldier."

Riley's survival instincts were screaming at her to _run! Run! Run!_ as Optimus took another step closer, but her legs felt frozen, her joints stiff with shock and disbelief.

"You understand I must take your life in order for the game to end," Optimus told her, his tone almost apologetic, "I would appreciate it if you did not attempt to resist."

The sight of Optimus taking out his holo-knife (it was _HUGE_) finally unfroze Riley's limbs, and she took off, sprinting away as fast as she could. It was when she reached a wall when the reality of her situation finally set itself into her brain. She was trapped in a closed-off room with an imposter. There was no escape.

She flinched when Optimus backed her up against a corner, fear and exhaustion seeping through her bones. He knelt down, blocking off the hangar lights with his gigantic frame. They both knew she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Optimus," Riley tried as a last resort, "I thought you loved me."

Gentle digits wiped away her sweat and the firm press of a pair of dermas warmed her forehead.

"I do," Optimus murmured against her skin, the air he expelled from his vents tickling her hair.

She breathed a sigh of relief, smiling gratefully at Optimus as he pulled away, "Oh thank goodness-"

Her sentence was cut off when Optimus whipped out his holo-knife and drove it into her stomach. The knife was so large that it literally sliced her in two, the light of the hologram emerging from both sides of her waist. Her datapad buzzed, signalling her defeat.

"The imposters win!" Wheeljack announced brightly from the loudspeakers.

"You… you jerk!" Riley slapped at Optimus's servo angrily as the image of the holo-knife flickered and disappeared.

"I take it you enjoyed the game?" Optimus rumbled, amused.

"I did, yes," Riley admitted. It was true. She hadn't had this much fun for ages.

"But next time we play I'm voting you out every single meeting,"

"I look forward to it,"


End file.
